Food container and closure therefor



Dec. 15, 1931. c. s. BARON 1,836,521

FOOD CONTAINER AND CLOSURE THEREFOR Filed July 17,, 1929' Patented Dec.15, 1931 UNITED STATES CHARLES s. BARON, or TIFEIN, 01110 FOOD CONTAINERAND CLOSURE THEREFOR Application filed. July 17,

My present invention relates particularly to glass jars or othercontainers that are adapted to hold either dry or liquid sub stances.

It has for its chief object, among other things, the. production of sucha device having effectual but simple means for closing the same, andpreferably means for hermetically sealing it.

1 What constitutes my ,invention will be hereinafter described in detailand succinctly defined in the appended claims,

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention in a presentpreferred form of embodiment,

Figure I is a side elevation of a portion of a container made of glass,with its lid or closure attached, and inopen position.

Figure II is a diametrical vertical section of the same but with lidclosed.

.Figure'III is a top plan view of the subject and dimensions.

The body 1 is provided witha neck 2, which surrounds and defines itsmouth, and whose outer periphery consists preferably of a verticallynarrow annular-zone 3that is slightly conical or tapered upwardly aboutits vertical 3X15. The zone 3 is preferably provided with a peripheraldepression or roove 4 to accommodate within it a snugly fitting elasticring gasket. The groove 4 is flat in cross-section, and the gasket,indicated by the numeral 5, is or becomes by use-slightly conical so, atleast, as to fit smoothly intoit and so as to present an outer surfacethat is substantiallyflush with the outer face of the zone. This is thepresent preferred form of groove and gasket,qbut a narrow groove 7 1929.Serial-N0. 378,984.

having its bottom curved in cross-section to accommodate a gasketconsisting of an elastic grommet 8 whose outer faceprojects a littlebeyond the face of the zone3, as shown in Figure IV, may be substitutedtherefor'if desired. Either ofthe gaskets or 8 is made, preferably, ofyielding india rubber, but may be made of any like material that may befound suitable for the purpose.

The closure for the container consists, preferably, of a metal lid '9,which is provided with a rim '10 that is conformable to the shape anddimensions of the zone 3. The rim 10 maybe slightly conical incrosssection, conformably to the conical shape of thevzone 3, as'shownin Figure VII, but its angle of inclination may be a little greater thanthat of the said zone, and its diameter a little less than the longestoutside diameter'of'the zone. The outside diameter of *the zone 3 andthe inside diameter of the rim 10 are such, relatively to each other,that the smooth edge 12 at the bottom of the rim begins to make contactwith the face of the gasket 5 at about or a little above the medialcircumferential line of the latter when the lid 9 is applied withpressure to the neck 2. In consequence of the relative diameters, asabove described, of the rim 10 and the necksupported gasket 5, continuedapplication of pressure 'tending to force the edge 12 ofthe rim 10 downupon the said gasket, will compress the gasket, with sealing effectbetween the engaging surfaces of the said members. Also the relationshipof the diameters aforesaid, will prevent the edge 12 from passingoverthe face of the zone 3 beyond the width of the gasket 5, and will,therefore, maintain at all times an effective yield ing contact betweenthe edge 12 and the gasket.

In respect to the grommet 8, if it be substituted for the gasket 5, thecooperation between it and the rim 1O is-substantially the same as thatjust described, except thatthe inner face of the rim slips over thecontacting face of the grommet with compressing and sealing effectthereupon.

If,'instead of having different. angles of i inclination, as aforesaid,the angles of the zone 3 and of the interior of the rim 10 aresubstantially conformable, as it has been specified they may be, thegasket 5 must project slightly beyond the surface of the zone 3 in orderto make yielding contact with the inner face of the rim 10. In suchcase, there may be employed for holding the rim 10 and gasket 5 insealing contact, any sort of suitable latch mechanism, the use of whichmay be ordinarily dispensed with when the angles of inclination of thezone 3 and rim 10 are different.

In Figures V and VI, respectively, examples of modified outer faces ofthe neck 2 are shown; and in Figure VII a modified angle of the rim 10.V

The lid 9 may be wholly separable and detachable from the container, butI prefer to operatively unite the container and lid by a suitable hingeconnection. With that end in view, I provide, preferably at or near thebase of the neck 2, a groove 15- that is substantially parallel to thegroove 4, or especially the groove 7, whichit closely resembles. A ringclip 16, being made preferably of a section of spring wire, and selectedof a length and gauge to snugly fit within the groove 15, affords aconvenient and service able fixed member for the proper assemblingtogether of the lid and the container in hinged relationship. I

In that regard, it should be observed that the mode of application ofthe lid 9 upon the neck 2 in utilizing the former as a practicableclosure to thecontainer is substantially the same in any case,irrespective of whether the lid be separate from or fastened to thecontainer.

The said mode of application in either instance requires, to aconsiderable degree,

freedom of movement of the lid in order to permit its proper adjustmentwith proper sealing eff ct upon the neck. Consequently,

it is of importance, in respect to the production of a saleable article,to provide means of hingedly uniting a container and its lid with suchlooseness in the hinge connection between the parts, as will afford theaforesaid requisite freedom of adjustment of the lid to the neck of thecontainer, and will combine therewith such mechanical fitness, throughthe proper adaptation ofpart to part and function to function, as willprove attractive to the trade.

The foregoing observation is deemed to be not so obvious as to be out ofplace herein, because it may obtain due recognition that the problem inthe present instance is materially different from that of merelyeffecting a loose hinge connection, as might, perhaps, withoutexplanation, appear to be the case.

In view of the last preceding observation, it is now further specifiedthat, by preference, the ring clip 16 is provided, substantially at apoint diametrically opposite its adjacent ends 17 and 18 with apintle-ofiset 20 that is disposed substantially well beyond theperiphery of the neck 2 and which affords a suitably positioned supportfor a single elongated knuckle 21 on one side of a hinge plate 22.

For the special purpose of affording a favorable means of connectionbetween it and the other side of the hinge plate 22, the rim 10 of thelid is provided with an everted out side annular flange, 23, consistingof an extension of the metal of the lid beyond the smooth edge 12thereof, said edge being preferably formed by the bending of the metalof the lid to constitute the flange 23.

The flange 23 not only imparts to the lid a hat-shaped appearance thatgives a pleasing finish to the lid, the outer edge of it beingpreferably edged by a downwardly bent bead, but it is wide enough toextend over the ring clip 16 far enough to afford for it, in effect, aprotecting covering. Moreover, the flange 23 affords, in efiect, asuflicient handle for manipulating the lid in the operation'of openingit, no other pose bein necessary.

The outer, edge of the flange 23 and that of the pintle of the offset 20are substantially in the same vertical plane, and the width of the saidflange is sufficient to accommodate two co'alined slits 25 and 26 whosecommon axis is substantially parallel with that of the said pintle. Theslits 25 and 26 are adapted to accommodate, respectively, two metalstrips projecting from the side of the plate 22 opposite to the knuckle21.

Sa1d strips being passed, respectively,

through said slits are thereafter bent, with permanent fleXure, to formknuckles 27 and 28 around coaxial single pintle members 29 and 30 whichthe slits 25 and 26 define in the flange 23.

The shackle effect of the plate 22 and its knuckles, in combination withtheir respective pintle members 29 and 30 and the pintle of the offset20, constitutes a hinge connection which answers all requirementsdemanded of it in use upon my containen That is to say, it permits allthe freedom of adjustment that is necessary for the cooperativeaccommodation of the rim 10 of the lid 9 to the neck 2. Moreover, it isdesigned and adapted to effect a substantially even moveitself utilityin connect-ion with containers which do not require the sealing effectwhich is afforded by a yielding gasket and engaging rim 10.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a container body, and a neck surrounding themouth thereof, of a ring embedded in an annular depression provided forit in the outside of the neck, a pintle-offset formed in the ring, alid, and a hinge member pivoted to the lid and to said ofi'set,respectively.

2. The combination with a container body, and a neck surrounding themouth thereof, of a ring embedded in an annular depression provided forit in the outside of the neck, a pintle-oifset formed in the ring, aflange defined hat-shaped' lid, and a hinge member pivoted to the flangeof the lid and to the oflset, respectively.

In testimony whereof, I have hereuntoset my hand.

CHARLES S. BARON.

